


Post Mortem

by kethni



Category: Veep (TV)
Genre: F/M, request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:22:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21975745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kethni/pseuds/kethni
Summary: ‘He respects you,’ she said. ‘He’ll listen to you more than he’ll listen to us. The police will move on. The news will move on. This doesn’t have to define his life.’
Relationships: Kent Davison/Sue Wilson
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	Post Mortem

**Author's Note:**

> For CrazyMaryT

It had been another long day in a month of long days. Sue had been through enough campaigns now to know that the long days wouldn’t be getting shorter anytime soon.

_Officially_ , she wasn’t involved in the campaign. Administration and campaigning were supposed to be completely separate. That was the law. It was a law that, at no point in her political career, nobody appeared to have obeyed.

Sue poured herself into the bath, turned on some soft music, and took a large drink of her wine. She deserved this. She had thinking about it all day.

Her cell rang. Of course _,_ her cell rang.

Sue put down her glass and glanced at the screen. Why on Earth would _he_ be calling her?

***

Sue had never been to Ben’s house before. It was a lot more… chintzy than she would have expected. There were dozens of little China figurines in glass cases. She couldn’t see anything of Ben in the entire house. She rather hoped that he had a man-cave or shed or similar. It couldn’t be healthy for a man to have no opportunity to stamp his personality in his space.

Joyce gave Sue a mug of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table opposite her. Ben was scowling as he played with his own mug.

‘Thanks for coming,’ Joyce said.

‘Shame it couldn’t have been last night when we called,’ Ben grumbled.

‘Ben!’

‘I don’t work for you anymore, Ben,’ Sue said. ‘I do not jump at your whim.’

Joyce waved her hands. ‘Ignore him! He’s just worried.’

Sue took a sip of her coffee. It was quite good. ‘I’m aware that there’s been something in the news about his girlfriend.’

‘Freaking police,’ Ben muttered. ‘That’s come from them.’

‘They’ve questioned him five times,’ Joyce confided.

‘That seems excessive,’ Sue said. ‘They can’t seriously imagine that Kent is involved in whatever happened. What did happen?’

‘She went missing,’ Joyce said. ‘For weeks. That’s mostly when they were questioning him. But then some boys fishing found her car submerged in a lake. When the police pulled the car out…’ Joyce shook her head.

‘Between the water, the fish, and shit naturally breaking down, they can’t be sure what happened,’ Ben said. ‘The don’t know why she went off the road, if was dead before she went into the water, or even what killed her.’

‘They’re not even sure when it happened,’ Joyce said. ‘Kent is very down about the whole thing.’

‘You’re his friends,’ Sue said. ‘For a certain value of the word. I’m not.’

Ben leaned back in his chair. ‘I told you this wouldn’t work.’

Joyce kicked him under the table. ‘He respects you,’ she said. ‘He’ll listen to you more than he’ll listen to us. The police will move on. The news will move on. This doesn’t have to define his life.’

Sue clasped her hands together. Just asking the question felt like an imposition. ‘How serious were they?’

Ben shrugged. ‘They’d been dating monogamously a couple months. Before that he’d been dating around some. He hasn’t seen anyone since.’

Sue pursed her lips. ‘I can talk to him,’ she said. ‘But I can’t see how it will possibly help.’

‘Thank you!’ Joyce said. ‘Thank you so much!’

Sue looked at Ben. ‘I said I didn’t think it would help.’

‘Yeah, she just hears what she’s wants to,’ Ben said, shrugging.

***

Kent was very fastidious about food. She wouldn’t describe him as a “foodie” exactly, since she always considered that referred particularly to pretentious people who treated food the way fashionistas treated clothing. Kent would eat a cheese sandwich, but it had to be particular bread, cheese, and butter all chosen deliberately to complement each other. It was an approach that commonly left him disappointed by restaurants. Sue found herself feeling much the same way about wine and bars.

So, she did her research before she invited him out to dinner. She found a restaurant reviewed very well for the food, not the décor, or the atmosphere, and certainly not for how “fashionable” it was.

In her text, she also told him the Ben and Joyce had asked her to talk to him. She didn’t want any _confusion_. They had not transitioned from lovers to friends. She had been baffled that he claimed that he wanted to remain friends with her. She did not have male friends and frankly she would happily set all of her exes on fire.

She was rather hopeful that he would decline the invitation.

He didn’t. Damn it.

Sue dressed nicely for the meal: work smart, not date smart. She was reasonably confident that he would understand the difference. He was quite observant although not quite as knowledgeable as might be hoped.

She was five minutes late. He was already waiting.

What the hell was he wearing? Smart slacks - fine. Shined shoes - fine. Lavender shirt with heavy purple and pink patterns - utterly intolerable.

‘Is this a sign of PTSD?’ she asked, as he kissed her cheek. It was a normal and expected level of physical contact for people with their history. Nonetheless, it made her flush.

‘Coming to dinner?’ he asked.

‘The shirt,’ she said, letting him pull out her chair.

‘You would be surprised by how many people like this shirt,’ he said.

‘You’re right,’ she said. ‘I would be surprised.’

He chuckled lightly as he pushed the chair underneath her and then walked around to his own chair.

‘Some of us are capable of growth and development,’ Kent said.

‘That is not a sign of growth and development,’ Sue said, opening her menu.

‘You look well,’ he said, looking at his menu.

‘You look tired,’ she said.

‘Campaigning is time consuming,’ he said. He glanced at her. ‘Not that you could _ever_ be involved in a campaign.’

Sue’s lips twitched slightly. ‘Certainly not.’

‘I’ve told Joyce that her behaviour is unacceptable,’ Kent said. ‘Calling you and blackmailing you into agreeing to contact me was entirely inappropriate.’

‘Ben was there too,’ Sue said.

‘He should certainly know better,’ Kent said.

They gave their orders to the server. Sue crossed her legs.

‘They seem genuinely concerned about you,’ she said.

Kent sat back. He put his hands on the table in front of him. ‘Their genuineness isn’t the issue. I’m a fully mature human being. I’m quite capable of dealing with my own emotional and psychological needs. I don’t need Ben and Joyce continually telling me that I’m not coping. It’s insulting and wearying.’

‘Why did you agree to come to dinner?’

‘I enjoy your company,’ Kent said. ‘Perhaps now that a little time has passed you may be more comfortable with the idea of friendship.’

Sue sipped her wine. ‘I’m a divorced woman.’

Kent shrugged. ‘I don’t follow.’

‘You might be here in the hope of resuming a romantic relationship,’ she said.

Kent shrugged. ‘I’m not.’

‘Oh.’

‘Are you disappointed?’ he asked impishly.

‘No,’ she said. She shifted slightly. ‘But I have my pride.’

Kent ran his fingers through his hair. ‘Asking a man mourning his girlfriend if he was hoping to date you is certainly… something. I’m not sure it’s pride precisely.’

Sue swallowed. ‘That wasn’t what I meant.’

‘Okay.’

The server brought the food.

‘Do you want to talk about it?’ Sue asked quietly.

Kent glanced at her. ‘I’m sure that you don’t care to listen to me talk about my feelings.’

Sue pursed her lips. ‘You’re referring to my response when your mother had her stroke.’

‘You don’t owe me anything, Sue,’ he said. ‘Least of all your emotional labour.’

‘I was jealous of your relationship with your mother,’ she said stiffly. ‘It’s not something I’m happy to have done.’

Kent cocked his head. ‘You and I have very different relationships with our mothers,’ he said mildly.

Sue poked her food with her fork. ‘I had to go to couple therapy before the divorce,’ she admitted. ‘Jealousy was something that was discussed.’

Kent put down his cutlery. ‘They must have had to drag you in kicking and screaming.’

Sue snorted. ‘I wasn’t a fan, but he wouldn’t consider the divorce without it.’

‘He didn’t want the divorce?’

‘His behaviour and his stated beliefs were sharply at odds,’ she said. ‘Marriage is too easy, and divorce is too difficult.’

Kent rested his elbow on the table and his chin in his palm. ‘Not a problem I foresee having.’

‘What did your girlfriend do?’

‘Her name was Julie.’

‘What did Julie do?’ Sue asked.

Kent regarded her silently for a few seconds. ‘She was a teacher. We dated for nearly six months. I cared for her a great deal.’

Sue sighed. ‘I’m not attempting to trick you into a confession.’

‘What are you trying to do?’ he asked.

‘To find out if Ben is overreacting,’ she said. ‘Joyce’s judgement is irrelevant. Ben knows you very well and despite being… _Ben_ , it’s very clear that he’s honestly very concerned about you. Not the police harassing you, you’re a rich, powerful, white man so that will pass. He’s concerned about you in yourself. I want to know if I should be concerned.’ 

Kent played with his fork. ‘It’s been extremely stressful,’ he said quietly. ‘Deeply upsetting. But things are getting better. My doctor prescribed me anti-depressants. It took a couple of weeks for them to settle but they’re working very now and I’m feeling much better.

Sue tensed. ‘Is that really necessary?’

‘Yes,’ he said. ‘There’s nothing shameful about it, Sue.’

She took a bite of her food. ‘I’m glad that you’re feeling so much better.’

‘How about you?’

‘Me?’

Kent shrugged. ‘The divorce can’t have been fun.’

‘It was terrible,’ Sue said quietly. ‘We fought about every tiny thing. The smallest issue because a deadly personal insult.’

‘Did you ever see _The War of the Roses_?’ Kent asked. ‘Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner movie.’

‘I’ve seen _Romancing the Stone_ ,’ she said. ‘My mother loves it.’

Kent shook his head. ‘This was after. It’s about a couple getting divorced. It’s a black comedy. They do increasingly terrible things to each other until they’re both killed.’

Sue thought about it. ‘That sound about right.’

‘I don’t understand people like Ben who lurch from one divorce to the next,’ Kent admitted. ‘It certainly takes your serial monogamy to another level.’

She rolled her eyes. ‘Neither of us is a serial monogamist. I am single from time to time and Ben frequently cheats.’

‘What was the last time you were single?’ Kent laughed.

‘I’m single right now,’ she retorted.

‘Not by choice I’m sure.’ 

‘Have you _ever_ been single by choice?’

He sighed. ‘Certainly not recently.’

Sue winced. ‘That was thoughtless.’

Kent waved his hand. ‘No, I… I shouldn’t have said that.’

‘Are you seeing anyone?’ she asked.

He shook his head. ‘I’m so busy.’

‘You’re not getting any younger.’

‘Nobody’s getting any younger, Sue,’ he said. ‘That’s not how we perceive the passage of time.’

Sue glowered at him. ‘Do you really think Selina Meyer’s campaign is worth spending the rest of your life alone?’

He blinked. ‘Not when you put it like that.’

‘So, date people.’ She took a bite of food. ‘Your social ineptitude is nowhere near severe enough to significantly detract from your manifold attractions.’ 

‘You used to think it was,’ Kent pointed out. ‘Quite specifically as I recall.’

Sue thought about it. ‘I was wrong.’

‘Are you feeling alright?’

She ignored him. ‘If one of Sean’s friends called me because they were worried about him, I don’t believe that I’d involve myself. Or any of my other exes.’

‘What are you trying to say?’ Kent asked quietly.

‘I don’t know.’

Kent reached out to touch the back of her hand. ‘Perhaps we can work it out.’

Sue nodded slowly. ‘Yes. Perhaps we can.’

The End.


End file.
